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What is going on?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by Reeferforlyfe, Mar 18, 2012.

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  1. Mar 18, 2012 #1
    Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

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    My corals are bleaching white, acropora to be exact. Not all of them but some. I have them on my sand bed, with my AI sol blues on 45%. Most were frags bought from ACC and some from Potroasts (Jim). 
    I have checked all my parameters, Calc 500, mag 1440, alk 9 dKH. All my other prams are in spec, trust me I've tested over and over. Could this be a low light deficiency? 
    Frags from ACC are kept under 400watt bulbs. Pot roasts are a bunch of t-5 lights, and I mean a ton. I don't know what's going on... My Hawkins blue is peeling his blue coloring off in spots. Suggestions? I'm totally clueless at this point, and don't want to lose any corals /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/sad.gif
    Thanks ahead of time for the input
     
  2. Mar 18, 2012 #2
    mthomp

    mthomp Inactive User

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    sounds like too much light to me. you say your LEDS are at 45% but how deep is the tank and how far above the tank are your lights? That is all relative as to ow high you run your lights and for how long.

    For example I have a 24 inch deep tank and my 2 AI are about 12 -15 inches above the water. My max settings are whites 35 blue and royal blue 50. While I do not have a par meter, my eyes tell me that things doing well with these settings.
     
  3. Mar 18, 2012 #3
    Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

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    Tank is 24 deep, lights are 10 inches above tank. I run all my lights at 45. I still don't understand how that could be too much light? Correct me if I'm wrong but a par meter is no good when it comes to measuring led intensity, isn't a luminous flux meter the way to go?
     
  4. Mar 18, 2012 #4
    Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

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    My green slimer is taking off, never seen it without its polyps. He's in the middle of the tank. Zoas are doing good, softies are doing fine.

    I haven't fed them in a week due to a massive CYANO and ha outbreak due to over feeding.
     
  5. Mar 18, 2012 #5
    xroads La Porte City, IA

    xroads Veteran Reefkeeper Vendor

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    Get a par reading from where your corals are.

    Also what is your temp? With this heat wave, many peoples tanks are running hot. Fast way to kill coral is a hot tank.
     
  6. Mar 18, 2012 #6
    Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

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    My temp swing is +- 1.5 deg. Lowest is 77, highest 78.5 during the day.
     
  7. Mar 18, 2012 #7
    Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

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    My lights follow the lunar cycle, sunrise sunset. When the sun comes up, lights ramp up over 60 min, same with the sun going down, ramp down for 60 min.
     
  8. Mar 18, 2012 #8
    ruggerkc North Liberty , IA

    ruggerkc Experienced Reefkeeper Board of Directors Leadership Team GIRS Member

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    Did you use red slime remover?
     
  9. Mar 18, 2012 #9
    mthomp

    mthomp Inactive User

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    If your corals are bleaching thats a really good sign of too much light.
     
  10. Mar 18, 2012 #10
    Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

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    No way man, I will never put anything like that in my tank for good reasons. I let nature take its course.
    I dropped the intensity from 48 to 35. I guess I'll see how that works
     
  11. Mar 18, 2012 #11
    mthomp

    mthomp Inactive User

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    Remember your whites will give off more intense light then your blues will. You may also want to consider increasing your ramp up and down times I dunno. Mine and I am not saying this is how it should be done but. My lights start at 11am and ramp up to 35% white 40% blues over 2 hours. And then at 2pm ramp up too their max intensity over another 2 hours. and at 9pm ramp down to lunar over 1 hour.
     
  12. Mar 18, 2012 #12
    Jamie

    Jamie Well-Known ReefKeeper Vendor

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    Maybe I missed it but I didn't see anywhere if you said if it was just the tops of the acro's (where more direct light hits them) that are bleaching or the whole colony? If it's just the tops it's defiantly the change in light that they are not liking.
     
  13. Mar 18, 2012 #13
    Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

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    I need to change the light intensity of the blues to about 50, and keep the whites at 35. I'll get to that tomorrow morning. Thanks
     
  14. Mar 18, 2012 #14
    Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

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    Whole colony when it comes to the Hawkins blue /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/sad.gif I don't want to lose him either, my fav coral!
     
  15. Mar 18, 2012 #15
    Jamie

    Jamie Well-Known ReefKeeper Vendor

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    If it's a intense change in light I could see RTN on the whole colony from the stress. Especially if this is one you just acquired. The Hawkins is one of my favorites as well, good thing is it's getting pretty common at swaps now.
     
  16. Mar 18, 2012 #16
    mthomp

    mthomp Inactive User

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    if its RTN theres a good chance it will be dead tomorrow.
     
  17. Mar 18, 2012 #17
    Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

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    RTN? I haven't changed light intensity since I got him, and he was doing fine for weeks.
     
  18. Mar 18, 2012 #18
    mthomp

    mthomp Inactive User

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    Can you get some pics up of what you are seeing? I would help us help you.
     
  19. Mar 18, 2012 #19
    Sponge Marshalltown, IA

    Sponge Expert Reefkeeper Vendor

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    I'm also wondering if the cyano is partly to blame because of the overfeeding (ie, high PO4 & NO3)?? It might be a combination of all the things: lighting intensity and duration, RTN, cyano.... Hope everything pulls through!!
     
  20. Mar 19, 2012 #20
    Reeferforlyfe

    Reeferforlyfe Inactive User

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    Nitrates read zero so does po4. Cyano is suckin up the nutrients for sure
     
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